DENR urged to postpone reclamation projects amid worsened floods, environmental concerns
MANILA, Philippines — Fisherfolk group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA) called on the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on Friday to postpone ongoing reclamation projects due to the heavy rains and flood hazards brought about by Typhoons Egay and Falcon.
Citing geologist Kelvin Rodolfo, the group said the reclamation projects aggravated the flooding incidents in Bulacan and Pampanga, calling for a scientific investigation into the projects in Manila Bay.
"We are certain that these reclamation projects worsened the flooding in the northern part of Manila Bay, as this has been established by geological experts before," PAMALAKAYA National Chairperson Fernando Hicap said in a statement.
Both Bulacan and Pampanga have been placed under a state of calamity.
The Provincial Public Affairs Office reported that a total of 228,648 families were affected by high flood waters ranging from six inches to six feet deep in Bulacan. Two have already been found dead due to drowning in the province.
In Pampanga, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) said more than 512,722 persons were affected by the flooding. Even high-value crops worth over P18.5 million were damaged by 'Egay', according to the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist said.
Last Wednesday, the United States government also expressed concerns over the potential environmental impacts and risks to local communities posed by the ongoing reclamation projects in Manila Bay, which are linked to a controversial Chinese company.
“We have expressed concerns about the potential negative long-term and irreversible impacts to the environment, the resilience to natural hazards of Manila and nearby areas, and to commerce,” the embassy said in response to a media query on a Bilyonaryo article.
Meanwhile, In Rodolfo's 2014 paper titled "On the geological hazards that threaten existing and proposed reclamations of Manila Bay", it was found that conducting reclamation projects near coastal shores puts people at risk of land subsidence, storm surges and earthquake-induced liquefaction.
Scientists and experts have been warning the agency on the dangers of land reclamation. It not only destroys coastal and marine habitats, but it also takes away the livelihood of fishers in the country. On top of that, reclamation projects will most likely cause sea levels to rise, Rodolfo said in his paper.
"If this study is not enough for the DENR to cancel environmental permits of reclamation projects, then it should, at the very least, temporarily put off these projects until their proponents are able to debunk the scientific studies," Hicap added.
The Philippine Reclamation Authority recorded 187 reclamation projects across the country, including those that are pending and ongoing. At least 30 reclamation projects will be done in Manila Bay. —Intern, Dominique Nicole Flores; with reports by Gaea Katreena Cabico
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